Our heartfelt congratulations to three of PolyU young scholars who recently received prestigious awards for their impactful work in different fields, demonstrating the University’s continued leadership in cutting-edge research and worldclass education.

Dr Kathy Leng, Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Physics was honoured with a Croucher Tak Wah Mak Innovation Award 2023 for her achievement in material physics. Her research examines the van der Waals epitaxy process to grow single-crystalline thin films of hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites on various substrates for applications in electronics and spintronics. The Award comes with HK$5 million in research funding to further her exploration of how 2D materials can benefit society. Dr Leng is one of the four young scientists receiving this esteemed recognition this year.

In healthcare, Dr Daphne Cheung, Associate Professor of the School of Nursing, led the development of an interactive music therapy system for seniors. Combining songs, augmented reality games and motion sensors on a tablet, it makes music interventions more engaging and effective for cognitive stimulation. The first of its kind in music interventions, the project won a prestigious global consumer product award in the “Accessibility & Aging Tech” category at the Consumer Electronics Show 2024 Innovation Awards, recognising its ability to alleviate issues arising from social isolation through fun, stimulating musical activities.

In educational technology, Dr Shara Lee, Associate Professor of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, received the Silver Award for Exemplary Teaching and Learning at the eLearning Forum Asia 2023 in Singapore. Dr Lee utilised PolyU’s Hybrid Immersive Virtual Environment to facilitate realistic clinical simulation training for allied health and medical students. This award recognises the University’s commitment to best practices in utilising pedagogically driven technology for effective teaching and learning.

PolyU is committed to nurturing young innovators and will continue to support their innovative research and education endeavours.